Daphnetin prevents methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection by inducing autophagic response.

Daphnetin prevents methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus infection by inducing autophagic response. Int Immunopharmacol. 2019 Apr 13;72:195-203 Authors: Zhang W, Zhuo S, He L, Cheng C, Zhu B, Lu Y, Wu Q, Shang W, Ge W, Shi L Abstract The bacterial pneumonia caused by methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a potentially fatal disease, featured with extensive infection, inflammation, and airway dysfunction. With the increasing emerging of drug-resistant strains, new therapeutic strategies beyond canonical antibiotic treatment are pressingly needed. Daphnetin (DAPH) is a natural coumarin derivative with anti-inflammation, anti-microorganism and anti-oxidative properties. However, the protective effect of DAPH on S. aureus-caused pneumonia and the mechanism involved are never explored. Here we show that DAPH treatment conferred substantial protection against S. aureus-induced pneumonia, characterized by the reduced inflammatory responses, the augmented bacterial clearance and the alleviated tissue damage. Our study indicates that DAPH significantly enhanced mTOR-dependent autophagic pathway, leading to the boosted microphage bactericidal activity and the suppressed inflammatory responses. Inhibition of autophagic pathway therefore largely abolished DAPH-elicited repression of inflammatory response and macrophage anti-bacterial capability. Together, we herein not only identify a novel, natural agent to combat bacteria...
Source: International Immunopharmacology - Category: Allergy & Immunology Authors: Tags: Int Immunopharmacol Source Type: research